The present invention relates to monitoring conditions of a vehicle. It finds particular application in conjunction with monitoring tire conditions of a vehicle and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
It is becoming more common in modern motor vehicles to monitor tire conditions (e.g., inflation pressure, temperature, etc). Maintaining the correct tire conditions helps maintain safe, efficient, and economical operation of the vehicle. Abnormal tire conditions may result in excessive tire wear, blow-outs, and poor fuel mileage.
Conventional tire condition monitoring systems typically include radio frequency (RF) sensors associated with respective tires of the vehicle. The sensors include RF transmitters that transmit intermittent signals indicating tire conditions (e.g., pressures, temperature, etc.) in the respective tires of the vehicle. Antennas placed throughout the vehicle receive the tire condition signals from the various transmitters. The antennas are electrically connected to a central electronic control unit (ECU) via electrical cables. The RF signals from the transmitters, which are received by the antennas, are transmitted from the antennas to the central ECU via the cable.
In order to improve reception from the RF transmitters, which typically rotate with the respective tires, multiple antennas are positioned on the vehicle to reliably receive the RF signals. Installing and maintaining a plurality of antennas on the vehicle increases cost and wiring complexity.
The present invention provides a new and improved apparatus and method for monitoring tire conditions on a vehicle.